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Jaipur, Oct 27 (IANS) The Rajasthan government has approved the Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, banning the employment of children below 14 years of age in shops and commercial establishments.
The move, approved by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, aims to strengthen child welfare, ensure education and health for minors and align state labor laws with national compliance and safety standards.
The Chief Minister’s Office said the amendments are aimed at balancing business convenience with worker safety, in line with the central government’s compliance reduction and regulation docket.
Key provisions of the Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 include ban on child labour.
Children below 14 years of age will no longer be allowed to work in shops or commercial establishments. Also, the age of apprenticeship has also been revised. Now the minimum age for apprentice has been increased from 12 years to 14 years.
A ban on night work for teenagers has been announced under the new provisions, with individuals aged 14 to 18 not being allowed to work at night, while safety measures for young workers will be strengthened. Besides, working hours have also been increased.
Maximum daily working hours have been increased from 9 hours to 10 hours, while the maximum overtime limit is now 144 hours per quarter, up from the previous limit. These changes aim to improve productivity and operational flexibility while ensuring welfare and health standards for workers.
The earlier Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, which allowed teenagers aged 12 to 15 to work a maximum of 3 hours per day, has now been updated to reflect current welfare and educational priorities. Also, special provisions have been made for women’s safety under the Factories (Amendment) Rules, 2025.
The Chief Minister approved amendments to the Rajasthan Factory Rules, expanding employment opportunities for women in specific factory operations while giving priority to workplace safety and privacy.
Under the new rules, women (except pregnant or lactating women) can be employed at designated factory sites.
Additionally, employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE), including respiratory masks, face shields, gloves, heat shields and other safety gear.
Factories are required to ensure safety training for all workers and maintain air quality standards within the workplace. Officials said these amendments strengthen the state government’s commitment towards gender inclusion, worker safety and ease of doing business while ensuring synergy with national labor reforms.
–IANS
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